LAS VEGAS, NV - MAY 01: BTS performs onstage during the 2019 Billboard Music Awards at MGM Grand ... [+]
The nominees for the 2019 American Music Awards were revealed this morning, just one month before the annual ceremony is set to air live from Los Angeles, CA on ABC. Post Malone leads the charge with seven nominations, while Ariana Grande and Billie Eilish come in a very close second with half a dozen nods apiece. The list of potential winners is dominated by hip-hop and pop stars, but there is one act that secured more than a single spot for the first time, and what that signifies is so much more important than winning the prize itself.
BTS is up for three honors this year: Favorite Social Artist, Tour of the Year and Favorite Duo or Group - Pop/Rock. The septet has been to the AMAs before, but 2019 is already their best year when it comes to one of the biggest American award ceremonies...and they haven't even won anything yet.
This year marks just the second time BTS has been up for a trophy at the American Music Awards, and they’ve quickly advanced in the minds of those choosing the nominees. Last year, the K-pop favorites were nominated for, and won, Favorite Social Artist, beating out heavyweights like Shawn Mendes, Nicki Minaj and Cardi B. This time around they’re up against Mendes, Grande, Eilish and fellow K-pop musicians EXO, and they have a good shot at claiming this category once again.
What’s worth noting when it comes to the 2019 nominations is the fact that BTS is now being recognized not just for their online popularity, but also for their actual work. It’s great to be famous on social media, but the nods the band received this morning show that the group is being treated as just another musical act, as opposed to a foreign outlier.
BTS faces some pretty stiff competition in their two additional categories, but since the AMAs are chosen by fans (voting is open now), the Korean superstars may be able to come out on top. For Tour of the Year, BTS must beat out Grande, Elton John, Pink and Ed Sheeran, while their chances of collecting Favorite Duo or Group - Pop/Rock are much better, as they are only competing with two other names, the Jonas Brothers and Panic! At The Disco.
Whether they win all their awards, just one or two or even if they go home empty-handed, the fact that BTS was nominated for one of the larger prizes in the American music industry for the hard work they put in on the road and in the studio is significant, and it’s a sign that after years of proving themselves, the seven-piece outfit may finally be receiving the love they deserve.
